


28 Ways to Say 'I Love You'

by HighlyOpinionatedNerd



Category: Sense8 (TV)
Genre: All sources are cited!, An individual interaction between every member of the cluster with every other member, I hope you like it : ), all of it as fluffy and sweet as I could make it, didn't really write with a time frame in mind but if I had to pick I'd say postcanon, which adds up to 28
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-23
Updated: 2018-05-23
Packaged: 2019-05-10 10:14:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14735042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HighlyOpinionatedNerd/pseuds/HighlyOpinionatedNerd
Summary: There are many ways to say 'I love you' without actually saying it. Love is much more than just the words. It's calling your friends just to show them a sight you know they'd be delighted to see, and by showering them with compliments, and by introducing them to a new song you think they'd like, and more. So much, much more





	28 Ways to Say 'I Love You'

1\. 

“Nomi,” Lito says quietly, in the small hours of the morning.

“Mmm,” Nomi mutters, merely shifting a little in her sleep.

“Nomi, get up.”

“Five more minutes…”

“No, you have to get up. Your alarm has been going off for like, fifteen minutes already. Come on, it’s time to get up.”

Blearily, Nomi reaches out to the bedside table, fumbles for her phone, squints at the brightness of the screen as she dismisses the alarm.

“What are you doing up so early?” Lito asks, perching on the edge of her bed. The glowing numbers on her phone screen read 5:42 AM.

“There’s a, a march today,” Nomi mumbles, still not quite awake. “A women’s empowerment march, in Sacramento. Neets and I are going together.”

“How far is that from where you are now?”

“Mmmm...about an hour and a half.”

“And what time does it start?”

“7:30.”

“You should be leaving by now, Nomi!” Lito stands up and pulls the covers back, ignoring her muffled protests. “C’mon, let’s go. Wake up Amanita, or you’re going to be late.”

“Alright, alright...Neets, wake up, we overslept.” Nomi staggers out of bed and towards the closet, almost tripping over a desk chair on her way.

“Here,” Lito says, flipping the lightswitch. Both of them blink against the sudden light, and Amanita groans loudly from the bed.

“Thanks.” Nomi pulls an only slightly wrinkled t shirt out of a drawer. “And thanks for waking me up, too.”

“Of course, of course. Have fun at the march.”

Lito rolls over in his own bed and snuggles a little closer to Hernando, who hasn’t even noticed him holding an entire conversation in his sleep.

2.

Wolfgang drops his bag by the doorway and doesn’t even bother to take off his shoes before flopping facedown on the couch, burying his face in a pillow and breathing the familiar scent of home. He’s tired.

“Wolfgang?” Riley’s quiet voice asks, somewhere close by. He lifts his head and sees her peering at him from over the back of his couch, looking a little concerned. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” he says, sitting up. “It’s just kinda been a long day, is all. What are you doing here?”

“Just checking in.” She gestures to the empty couch cushion next to him. “May I sit?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Riley walks around the couch and sits. Somewhere far away from him, she is on a bus, or maybe a trolley. He sits next to her, too.

“Here, turn this way,” she instructs, pulling her feet up to sit cross-legged on his couch. He does as he’s told, and she puts her hands on his shoulders. Digs her fingers into his skin and starts working out knots he didn’t even know he had.

“Wow…” he melts into her touch, closing his eyes. “You’re really good at this.”

“Thank you.” He can hear the smile in her voice. “You hunch your shoulders exactly the same way my father does. Not good for you, you know.”

“Your father the pianist.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Wolfgang sighs. “You know, when I was a kid, I took piano lessons for a while.”

“Did you really?”

“Yeah, but I was never any good at it. Too much to think about at once. Singing is easier- although, I’m not much good at that either.”

“I always wanted to play, but I never learned. I don’t know why.”

“Maybe we should try again. I bet we’d be better at it now.”

Her bus stops moving, and people around her start getting up. “I have to go now,” she says, letting her hands fall from his shoulders, “this is my stop.”

“Ok. I’ll return the favor sometime.”

She smiles, and then she’s gone. Wolfgang sits back, feeling much better than he did a few minutes ago.

3.

Sun stands in the little department store fitting room, wearing a blouse that looked really cute on the hanger, but doesn’t look so good on her. It hangs loosely off her lean frame, and the color makes her skin look pale and unhealthy.

“What a cute blouse,” Kala says, stepping into the reflection beside Sun.

“You don’t have to flatter me.”

“I wasn’t trying to. I really like it.” Kala looks around, taking in the pile of discarded clothes and hangers on the bench beside Sun. “Are you shopping?”

Sun pulls the blouse off over her head and reaches for its hanger. “I thought that...it might be nice to try dressing more feminine, for a change.” She shrugs, avoiding Kala’s gaze. “I guess that’s why you’re here.”

“It is your turn to flatter me, it seems.”

Sun shrugs again, gathering up another discarded top and hanging it properly. “I’ll just go. The clothes I have are fine.”

“No, no, wait! Let me help you,” Kala insists, bending down and digging through the pile on the bench.

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to. I love shopping...here, what about this one?” she asks, pulling a red skirt out of the pile, floofy and covered in little yellow flowers.

“I don’t think that’s really _me_ , Kala.”

“That’s nonsense! I want to see you put it on. Go on,” she urges, seeing Sun’s reluctance written all over her face. “Please?”

Sun puts it on. She knows how stubborn Kala can get when she wants something. So she puts on the floofy skirt and stands in front of the mirror again. She looks like a little kid playing with her mother’s things, she thinks.

“Oh, Sun, it’s beautiful,” Kala whispers, and she sounds sincere. “Twirl for me?”

Sun spins around, watching the skirt floof out even more. Kala smiles and claps her hands together.

“I love it. You look great!”

“I look like a child.”

“No! No, Sun, never. Listen,” she says, grabbing Sun’s hands and forcing her to look into her eyes, “you are a woman. A strong, dangerous martial artist, yes, but you are a woman, and that will never change. And it is your right to wear what you want, when you want. Maybe someone told you that wearing patterns like this is childish. But you shouldn’t listen to them. Especially when you look so beautiful in it.”

Kala smiles warmly, and Sun tentatively smiles back. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had called her beautiful.

“You think I should buy it?”

Kala checks the price tag on the skirt. “Oh, absolutely. Do you want me to help you pick out something else?”

“Yes. Yes, I think I would like that.”

4.

Will has not been to a Golden Corral in years. The closest one had been a fair drive away from his house as a kid, but his father loved Golden Corral, and he used to take Will sometimes. Will really liked their chocolate cake.

And right now, he has the strangest craving for chocolate cake.

So he decides to treat himself. He makes the drive, he stands in line during the dinner rush. After he pays, he walks inside and just takes a deep breath, breathing in the smell of the place.

“Smells good,” says Capheus, beside him. “Where are you?”

“A restaurant, called Golden Corral.” Will realizes Capheus has probably never been any place like this. “Do you want to eat with me?”

“What are you going to order?”

“It’s all-you-can-eat,” Will explains, walking over to one of the buffets and picking up a plate. “You pay a flat fee, and you can pick whatever you want.”

“As much as you want?!” Capheus’ eyes are wide. “What a luxury…”

“Well, it’s mostly just what we call ‘comfort food.’ Most of it is really unhealthy and kinda trashy.” Will smiles, watching Capheus bend over a plate stacked high with egg rolls, studying them intently. “Do you want to try one?”

“Yes, I would love to. If you don’t mind...?”

“I don’t mind. Pick whatever you want.” Will hands Capheus the plate.

“Thank you, Will!” Capheus grins at him, looking like a kid on Christmas morning.

“One day you’ll have to come here for real, so we can properly share a meal,” he says as Capheus marvels over the pan of mac and cheese.

“I would love to,” Capheus gasps, pointing. “They have _ice cream?_ ”

Will laughs. “They do. It’s pretty good too...but not nearly as good as the chocolate cake.”

(for my non-Americans out there who aren’t familiar with Golden Corrals, click here: https://www.google.com/search?q=golden+corral&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj366qw3ZrbAhUHuVMKHY56DOEQ_AUIDCgD&biw=1600&bih=794) 

5.

Distantly, Riley hears the sound of music, and she follows it.

“What are you listening to?”

Lito turns around, wearing only boxers and a pair of clunky headphones.

“It’s a song by Jesse y Joy, called Espacio Sideral.”

“I like it,” Riley says earnestly. She can’t understand the lyrics, but it’s upbeat and the singer’s voice is beautifully smooth. She has the feeling it’s a love song.

Lito unplugs his headphones and let’s the music play out loud, setting his phone on the kitchen table between them. “I like it too.”

“If you speak Spanish, why can’t I understand the words?”

He shrugs. “I can’t understand it when you sing in your language, either. I think it would take away from the music, if it were translated.”

“That makes sense.”

“Do you know how to dance, Riley?”

“Me? Oh, no,” Riley smiles abashedly, shaking her head. “Not really. Not like you do.”

“Well, that won’t do.” Lito walks towards her, hands outstretched. “Come here, let me show you!”

He looks so excited to have someone to dance with, she can’t refuse. She lets him take her hands and position them just right, watches his feet as he moves them slowly, demonstrating. After a few demonstrations she tries it herself.

“That’s it, good, good!” Lito is in his element. The fluidity and naturalness of his movements are mesmerizing. “You’ve really got to _feel_ it- can you feel it, Riley?!”

“I can feel it!” she laughs, repeating the motions he showed her. It’s clumsy, but she does her best to move with the rhythm, to move like Lito.

From the kitchen table, the song changes. The new one is slower, with strings and piano blending in and out of the vocal line. Riley likes it, too.

“What is this one called?”

“It’s called Fuiste Tú. If you were going to dance to this, it would be completely different. More graceful, more meaningful…you know what I mean?”

Riley grins, holds out her hands. “Show me.”

(Listen to Espacio Sideral here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb41HjuOyFg. And Fuiste Tú over here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvCkraQbPuA) 

6.

“You haven’t told him?”

“No.”

“Nothing? Even after all this time?”

“No, nothing.”

“Don’t you want to?”

“Of course I want to.”

Nomi frowns. “Sorry, but I’m a little confused.”

Wolfgang is leaning against a balcony railing somewhere, smoking a cigarette. He’s hunching his shoulders the way he does when he’s got something on his mind. She leans over next to him, feels the cold of the metal railing against her forearms.

“Felix is your best friend. He’s like a brother to you. Why not tell him?”

Wolfgang shrugs. “The less he knows, the safer he is. Isn’t that a good enough reason?”

“I’m not so sure I agree with that. Back when I first started hearing voices in my head, one of the first things I did was tell Amanita. It’s been scary sometimes, and dangerous, but I can’t even imagine going through any of this without her.”

“I’m not dating Felix.”

“I get that. I still think you should be able to tell him.”

“I’m trying to protect him. In case you haven’t noticed, there are already plenty of people already out to get him because of his connection to me. I don’t need to add BPO to that list.”

Nomi sighs. He’s not going to change his mind. “I know. It’s just such a shame. I wanted to meet him someday.”

Wolfgang raises his eyebrows. “...Really.”

“Yeah, of course. The one guy that you actually care about? That you lie and cheat and steal to protect on a daily basis? You’re damn right I want to meet him.”

“Just because I’m not going to tell him I’m a sensate doesn’t mean you can’t meet him.”

“I don’t speak German in real life, Wolfgang.”

“I could translate.” He’s actually smiling a little. “And by the way, I do care about you and the rest of the cluster.”

Nomi beams. She never expected him to admit something like that to her.

“Listen to you. You’re secretly nothing but a big softy, aren’t you?”

“No way, man. I’m tough as fuck,” he says. But he’s still smiling, and they both know he’s lying.

(Author's note: this scene, as well as all the rest of them, were written before the release of the finale. At this point, I have no plans to change any of it.) 

7.

“What’s wrong, Kala?”

“Nothing. Nothing is wrong.”

“Kala, I know you are lying to me.”

“Really, Capheus, I am perfectly fine.”

“You are laying in bed with the blankets over your head in the middle of the day,” Capheus points out.

“Mmmm…well, yes, I suppose I am.” Kala pulls back the covers to look at him, but she doesn’t get up. “But I am fine. There is no reason to worry, really. It’s nothing serious, I promise.”

“Maybe not, but you should not have to suffer by yourself. Come, sit, tell me what is on your mind.”

He’s driving his matatu- the last run of the day, she thinks. Not many passengers, no one to hear him if he talks to her.

Still she hesitates. “Are you sure? Because, I would like to talk about it with someone. But I also don’t want to bother you with it, because it really is such a stupid little thing-”

“Kala, you are not a bother! Please, tell me what is on your mind.”

“...Alright.” Kala sits up in bed and makes room for Capheus to join her. “The thing is, that recently I’ve begun to suspect that I am not really _normal_ , you know? Like, maybe there’s something different about me. About...how I _feel_ about...people.”

“I understand what you mean.”

“I talked to Nomi about it a few days ago. She says there’s a word for it. She calls it ‘demisexuality’.”

Capheus cocks his head to the side. “That sounds like a made-up word.”

“That’s what I thought, too. But the more research I do, the more it really seems like, that’s me. Which is to say, I am not normal after all. Ugh, I am too old to be having a crisis like this!”

Capheus puts an arm around her shoulders. “Kala, you are perfect just the way you are. You know that, right?”

“Oh, stop it Capheus.”

“No, I am being serious! You are just right, whether you are...what is the word again?”

“Demisexual.”

“Yes, whether you are demisexual or not. That kind of thing does not matter. And as far as ‘normal’ goes, well, none of us are really what you would call normal, are we?” He smiles reassuringly at her. “You are perfect. And if this made-up word makes you feel more comfortable, then you should use it. I’m sure that is why it was made up in the first place.”

“Ok.” Kala tries to return Capheus’s smile, even though she kinda feels like crying for some reason.

“Crisis averted?”

“Crisis averted. Thank you, my friend.”

(Learn some more about demisexuality here: http://wiki.asexuality.org/Demisexual) 

8.

Sun started doing early morning tai chi when she was about six years old. And she’s kept it up, almost every day since then. It’s her sacred alone time, nothing but her and the rays of sunshine on her face and the sound of the first birds beginning to sing. It’s the only time she feels truly at peace.

“Can I join you?”

Or at least, it used to be.

She cracks one eye open and glares angrily at Will for interrupting. “Isn’t it evening already where you are?”

“Yes, but I still don’t know it well enough to do it by myself so…”

“You didn’t think to look it up on the internet?”

“Nooo...look, if I’m bothering you, I’ll just go. I’m sorry for-”

“You can stay, as long as you don’t talk.”

“Really?”

She raises one eyebrow.

“Right. Sorry.”

He moves to stand behind her and takes a stance. She can feel his eyes on her as she continues, can sense him following her every motion.

She forgets sometimes, that she isn’t the only one who doesn’t get a lot of time alone. That she isn’t the only one looking for some inner peace, if only for a few minutes.

He keeps his word and doesn’t say anything until she lowers her hands and opens her eyes, signaling an end to the routine.

“Thanks,” he says, exhaling a long breath. “I think I’ve got it now, so I won’t-”

“Your form is awful.”

“Uh...I’m sorry?”

“Come back tomorrow. We’ll work on it.”

“Wha- you mean that?”

“Don’t make me change my mind.”

Will grins. Something he doesn’t do as much as he used to. Another thing they have in common.

“Thank you, Sun.” He bows to her, and she smiles in spite of herself, bowing back.

Then he’s gone, and she’s left alone again. Which is still peaceful, still a great way to start the day.

But maybe, she thinks, just maybe, sometimes, it can be nice to have company, too.

9.

“Where are you going?” Felix asks, as Wolfgang starts shrugging on his coat.

“Out. Running errands.”

“In the snow? It can’t wait?”

“I’ll just be a little while.”

“Well, alright...be careful out there, man.”

It’s coming down pretty strongly outside. Nobody else is out walking, keeping instead to the warm safety of their homes. Perfect.

Wolfgang pulls his hood up to cover his ears and makes sure he’s a safe distance from the key shop before reaching out.

“Hey, Capheus.”

“What is it, Wolfga-aaaah! Ah! Oh my god!”

Wolfgang chuckles at the amazed look on the Kenyan man’s face. “So you like it, then?”

Capheus squats down and pokes cautiously at a developing snowdrift. “I never expected it to be so soft!”

“Kala said she’d never seen snow. So I thought you might not have, either.”

“No, I have never seen snow. It is amazing! This is a normal occurrence for you?”

“Yeah, pretty normal, especially this time of year.”

“Why are there not more people? Why are there not children out to play?”

“They usually wait until it stops falling.”

“Ah, I see.” Capheus stands up, a double handful of snow held out in front of him. “I cannot believe how light it is...and it melts into normal water?! Truly a miracle.”

It’s been a long time since Wolfgang has thought about it that way.

“When I was a kid, my friends and I used to go sledding down a hill near our house. Most of the time, at least one of us would fall off the sled on the way down and roll the rest of the way. Sometimes we would build snowmen. Oh, and we used to do this a lot, too.”

He tips his head back and closes his eyes and opens his mouth wide, sticking out his tongue. Capheus laughs and follows suit, arms spread wide.

A couple bundled up in parkas and sweatpants walk past, staring openly at him. Wolfgang hardly even notices. Capheus’ enthusiasm is contagious.

For the first time in a long, long time, he feels like a kid again.

10.

“You got the popcorn?”

“Yep! You got the wine?”

“Oh you know I’ve got the wine. Let’s do this!”

Kala giggles, taking a seat on the couch and grabbing the tv remote. Lito jumps over the back of the couch to sit beside her, jostling the overflowing bowl of popcorn in the process.

Of course, she knows he won’t really be able to eat the popcorn. Just the same way that she won’t really be able to drink his wine. But they’ve been planning this for weeks now, waiting for an opportunity, and they aren’t going to let a little thing like that stop them from enjoying movie night.

Lito cheers when the title screen pops up, singing along to the opening theme. “I haven’t even thought about this one in so long- where did you say you found it, again?”

“In a thrift shop downtown,” Kala says, switching the subtitles to ‘on.’ “My mother likes to shop for clothing there sometimes. I never expected to find one of your movies there!”

“Well, I’m certainly happy you did! I know you’re going to love this one. The story is just so moving-”

“Hush, Lito, it’s starting!”

He hushes, and grabs a handful of popcorn. But after the first ten minutes he can’t contain himself any more.

“So, do you like it so far?”

“So far. Is the turtle going to be important later, or…?”

“Oh, yes, very very important. You have a good eye, Kala.”

She grins. “You know, when I was younger, I dreamed of becoming an actress. I wanted to star in my own bollywood film. But I guess some dreams aren’t meant to come true.”

Lito shakes his head. “Kala, you are far too smart to be a movie star. It would be an absolute waste of your talents.”

“Oh, Lito…”

“No, I mean it! Kala, look at me, I am being so serious right now.” He reaches out and takes one of her hands in both of his. “You are the smartest woman I have ever met. I am an idiot compared to you. You are smarter than every actor, ever. The work you do helps people, and it is important. So you shouldn’t be upset about not becoming an actress. If anything, you should be proud.”

Kala smiles, genuinely touched. So much so that she forgets to pay attention to what’s going on on the screen.

“Aah!” Lito yells, dropping her hands and diving for the remote. “Rewind! Rewind! You can’t miss this part!”

11.

“I’ve been thinking about taking a vacation,” Riley muses, leaning her head on Will’s shoulder.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, once things calm down a bit.”

It’s late. They’re cuddling before bed, both warm and dry and for the moment, safe. Untroubled.

“Where to?” Will asks. “We could go to Hawaii, or maybe Greece. Or Maldives!”

“I was thinking Vik’s Beach, in Iceland.”

“...Wait, really? More Iceland?”

Riley can’t help but laugh at the incredulity in his voice. “That’s why I said we should wait until things calm down.”

“Mm.” Will readjusts his position against her, getting more comfortable. “Tell me about it.”

“I went there once when I was young. It’s beautiful. The sand is black, like the night sky, and the waves are dark like storm clouds. And out past the shore there are three tall rock formations- and legend says that they were once great tall trolls who got caught in the morning sunlight and turned to stone.”

“Do you believe that?”

“I don’t know. Anything’s possible, don’t you think?”

“Can’t argue when you put it that way. But wouldn’t you like to go someplace warm and tropical? You know, like Maldives?”

“I’m sure Maldives is lovely. But Vik’s Beach is special.” Riley closes her eyes, picturing black sands running through her child-sized hands. “I would like to show it to you. To everyone.”

“Then let’s go on vacation,” Will says, beginning to sound sleepy.

“Someday,” Riley murmurs, softly stroking his back. “Someday.”

(A lovely little article about Vik’s Beach, with some excellent pictures too: https://www.worldlyroamer.com/single-post/BlackSandBeachVikIceland) 

12.

Sun doesn’t like asking for help. She likes being in control of the situation. She does not like relying on others.

But she is at her wits’ end, and if she does not ask for help she is definitely going to do something she will regret. Time to put aside her pride and admit she needs some help.

“Nomi.”

“Oh, hey Sun,” Nomi says. She sounds surprised. Of course she does, Sun never initiates conversations. A habit she’s not proud of, by the way.

“I need your help.”

“Uh, ok,” Nomi says. Less surprised, more tense. She’s already reaching for her tablet. “What is it? Where are you? What’s going on?”

Sun takes a deep breath. “I just _can’t get my computer to work_.”

Nomi takes a good long look around, taking in the normal room, and the lack of any threatening enemy presences. Eventually her eyes stop on the laptop on the desk, with it’s red flashing error warning.

“Oh! Oh, well, I can definitely help you with that.”

“Thank you,” Sun growls. She’s been wrestling with the stupid thing for an hour at least, and if Nomi weren’t here she would probably have put her fist through the screen.

“I can’t read the Korean,” Nomi says, “so you’ll have to help me. But if what I think is going on here is what’s going on, we should have this thing working in no time.”

“ _Thank_ you. What do you need me to do?”

“First of all, can you pull up your settings menu?”

Barely ten minutes later, Nomi has Sun’s computer running like there was never anything wrong.

“...And select ‘enable,’ and that should keep this from happening again for a while.”

Sun does what she says. “Thank you, Nomi. I wish there was some way I could return the favor.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it.”

“But-”

“No buts. Look, Sun, this cluster thing is never going to work if we all think like that, trying to keep score.” Nomi smiles reassuringly. “You’re a huge inspiration to me, honestly. I don’t want you to feel like you owe me for something stupid like this. Ok?”

“...Ok.”

“Ok. Now, let’s see what we can do about extending your battery life…”

13.

“It’s so long...have you ever even cut it before?”

“Of course. I go to the barber’s and get it trimmed every two months, to keep it healthy.”

“Every two months? I have to get my mine cut like every three weeks.”

Kala laughs. She’s sitting on her bed after a shower, in her bathrobe, brushing out her hair.

“Having short hair seems so boring though. You can’t do anything with it if it’s too short.”

“Doesn’t matter to me. I wouldn’t know how to do anything with it, even if I had long hair.”

Wolfgang watches every practiced stroke of the brush, every movement of her hands, like he’s mesmerized.

“Want me to show you?”

“Uh…”

“Here, come here.” Kala shifts closer to him, deftly separating a lock of hair into three sections. “Look, all you have to do is cross them over one another. It’s that easy.”

She starts braiding, slowly, letting him see what she’s doing. Wolfgang stares, open-mouthed.

“Kala, that’s witchcraft.”

“No it’s not! It’s very simple, really. Do you want to try?”

“I’d just mess it up,” he says quickly.

“It’s fine if you do. I don’t mind. Come on, give it a try!”

Wolfgang hesitates a moment, but then he takes the half-finished braid from her and tentatively picks up where she left off.

“Not that hard, is it?”

“...I still could never do this if it was on my own head.”

He reaches the end of the lock and moves on to another, separating the strands with most uncharacteristic gentleness. Kala closes her eyes, enjoying the feeling of it.

“Am I hurting you?”

“No, no. I’m not tender-headed.”

“Hmm.” Wolfgang pulls his finished braid around, into her field of vision. “Mine doesn’t quite look like yours.”

“Well then,” Kala says with a smile, “I guess you’ll just have to keep practicing.”

14.

When Capheus felt Lito reaching out to him, he hurried excitedly to his side. Lito was away filming on location, and he’d promised to show Capheus the scenery. He’d told Capheus it was beautiful, but Capheus had never expected anything like this.

“Oh, _wow_ ,” he breathes, staring at the scene spread out below him.

They’re standing on a hilltop, and everything around them is green. There are trees, vines, and plenty of thick underbrush. The sun is barely starting to emerge over the horizon, bathing everything in soft pinkish light.The early morning air is thick with summer humidity and the scent of honeysuckle, blooming somewhere nearby. 

“You like it?” Lito asks quietly. 

“It is absolutely stunning!” Capheus speaks quietly too. It’s as if they’re both afraid to be too loud and disturb the quiet morning peace around them. “You didn’t have to get up so early just to show it to me, though.”

Lito shrugs. “It was either this, or wake you up in the middle of your night. Besides, I like watching the sunrise.”

Capheus reaches out and puts his palm against a tree trunk, sliding his fingers over the rough bark. There aren’t many trees in Nairobi, and none like this.

“Who owns this land?”

“No one, really. It’s a national park. Crumbres del Ajusco, it’s called. It stretches all the way from those mountains to that river there, see?”

“Amazing,” Capheus whispers. “Free, green land. And you are going to shoot a movie here?”

“Just one scene. But it’s going to be beautiful.”

“Yes, I’m sure it will be.”

The two men lapse into silence once more, watching the sun come up. Somewhere close, a bird starts chirping cheerily.

“I have to go soon,” Lito says. “Want me to bring you back later?”

“Yes,” Capheus agrees instantly. “If you don’t mind, I mean.”

“Of course not. It’s not every day I get to come to this kind of place.” Lito grins at him. “I’m lucky to have someone to share it with.”

“Lucky.” Capheus closes his eyes, taking a deep breath of the sweet Mexican air. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”

(Educate yourself about this beautiful national park in Mexico right here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumbres_del_Ajusco_National_Park) 

15.

“She reminds me of you, a little.”

Riley and Sun are laying on their bellies on Sun’s bed, wrapped up in blankets, Riley’s phone propped up on a pillow in front of them. They used to do this sometimes, when Sun was having a particularly rough night in solitary. But it’s much more fun now. It feels like a sleepover.

“...She does,” Sun says dubiously, watching Halsey strut across the screen in the music video for Alone, fireworks and confetti raining down around her.

“Yes, she does. She’s very confident, and beautiful. Like you!”

“Mm.” Sun’s not very good at taking compliments, Riley has learned. But she’s getting better. “I like her music a lot.”

“Me too. I used to do a lot with her work, back when I was touring.”

“Do you miss it?”

“Some of it.”

The song ends and Riley reaches out to scroll through the Youtube recommendations, looking for one they haven’t already listened to, and eventually settling on New Americana.

“I miss the shows,” she continues, pillowing her head on her arm. “I miss the crowds, and the lights, and the, the _rush_ , you know? But the drugs, and the stupid people I somehow always got mixed up with...I think I’m better off without them.”

“I understand.”

When it’s Sun’s turn to pick the next song, she takes her time scrolling through the unfamiliar songs, studying each video thumbnail carefully. “What is the name of this one?”

“Dark Paradise, by Lana del Rey.”

Sun clicks that one, and listens intently for a bit. “I like this one too.”

“I don’t know much about Korean music,” Riley says. She feels a little guilty for always playing English songs she’s familiar with when they get together like this. “What do you usually listen to, Sun?”

“Most Korean music these days is not really my taste. Pop, mostly.” She makes a face. “I prefer more variety. I like Beyonce.”

“Wha- really?”

“Yes. She has a nice voice.”

Riley laughs. “I never took you for the type to like Beyonce.”

“Do you?”

“I don’t know too many of her songs. Here,” Riley says, tapping the search bar and handing Sun the phone. “Play me your favorite.”

(Alone by Halsey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEkImgh--PE. Dark Paradise by Lana del Rey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXwEj1Cwaeg) 

16.

“Holy cow, Nomi,” Will says, stepping into her living room without even bothering to put down the toothbrush he’s holding first. “Is that _Mash?_ ”

Nomi looks up from checking her blog comments on her phone, looking excited. “Hell yeah it is! You know it?”

“I love this show! I used to watch it every Saturday morning when I was a kid.”

“Well, finish brushing your teeth and pull up a seat, dude!”

“Is someone there?” Amanita’s voice floats in from the kitchen.

“It’s Will,” Nomi yells over to her. “And he says he loves Mash!”

“Well, tell him he has shit taste, too!”

“She’s not a fan, huh?” Will says, wiping his mouth and sitting down on the arm of the couch next to Nomi.

“You could say that. Neets, tell him yourself.”

Amanita comes into view carrying two freshly-made grilled cheese sandwiches and wrinkling her nose distastefully. “Will, you have the same shitty taste in tv as Nomi does,” she says matter-of-factly to an empty space three feet to the right of where he’s sitting.

“Thanks.”

“He says thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

Amanita joins Nomi on the couch and puts the plate of grilled cheeses between them. Will can all but taste the warm, gooey cheese.

“What did Amanita watch as a kid, then?” he asks.

Nomi snorts. “Neets, tell him how you feel about Sailor Moon.”

“Mm! Now that’s a good show! It’s got everything; magic, talking cats, alien villains...strong, hot female leads, two of which are lesbians for each other!”

“Well, Mash might not have any lesbians, but it’s got other important stuff. Like, oh I don’t know, the horrors of war? Important lesson for kids to learn, wouldn’t you agree, babe?”

“Sailor Moon has that too though.”

“Not to this extent, I don’t think.”

The episode playing is ‘Tuttle’, one of Will’s personal favorites. He’d forgotten all about it until now. While Nomi gets wrapped up in a long explanation of the Prokofiev suite that inspired the episode, Will sits back and just enjoys watching, tuning them out. It’s like reliving a piece of his childhood.

“I still don’t get it.”

“Jeez, I guess you’ll just have to watch it from the beginning.”

“I think I still have season one on dvd somewhere. Want me to send it to you?” Will offers.

“Yes! Neets, Will says he has season one.”

“Ok, but if I agree to that, I want you to agree to watch season one of Sailor Moon. Will too!”

“What do you say, Will? Worth it?”

Will grins. “I say, magic talking cats and aliens and hot lesbians, here we come!”

(Learn some trivia about the show Mash, properly spelled M*A*S*H, here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M*A*S*H_(TV_series) )

17.

“Thank you for helping me tonight, Riley.”

“No problem, Capheus.”

They’re standing in his little kitchen, and making a thorough mess of it. Neither one of them is very good at cooking, but it seems like they have just enough knowledge between the two of them to scrape a passable meal together.

Riley lazily stirs at the pot simmering on the stove. “Smells good. Do you think your mom will like it?”

“I think she will love it,” Capheus says happily. He spent kind of a lot on these ingredients, but he’s excited to have the chance to do something for his mother’s birthday. He can’t wait to see the surprised look on her face when she gets back. And it really does smell good.

“What did you say this recipe was called, again?”

Riley shrugs. “Something in Italian. I don’t quite remember. My husband used to make this all the time- he called it an old family recipe.”

“Oh.” Capheus has hardly ever heard her talk about her husband before. “Is it really ok to share with me?”

“Of course it is! You’re family, too. It’s everyone’s family recipe now, as far as I’m concerned.”

He smiles. “Thank you. How much longer, do you think?”

“Not long now,” she says, peering back into the pot. “How’s the sauce going over there?”

“Pretty good, I think.” Capheus cocks his head to one side, studying the bowl in front of him. It’s sort of hard to say for sure, since he’s never made it before, but he’s pretty sure this is what it’s supposed to look like.

“Good. Then, all that’s left is to put it on plates and serve it.”

“And clean up all these.” Capheus gestures to all the bits of onion and the smears of vegetable oil and lemon juice that somehow managed to get everywhere.

Riley laughs. “Yes, and to clean up those.” Capheus thinks of it as a small personal victory every time he’s able to make her smile. He loves her smile. He loves seeing all of his fellow sensates smile.

“Someday,” he says, turning the heat off underneath the pot on the stove, “I will have to share one of my family recipes with you.”

“Oh really? What kind of recipe?”

“I don’t mean to brag, but I make some of the best mandazi in Kenya,” he says, in what is absolutely a bragging tone.

“I would love to try some,” Riley assures him.

Ten minutes later the food is done, the counter is clean, and they’re making plans to meet again for mandazi. All in all, Capheus considers it to have been a very successful evening.

18.

“Hi, Sun.”

“Hello, Wolfgang.” She’s sitting down at her kitchen table, a plate of mostly-finished bulgogi in front of her. “You’re early.”

“Sorry. I can come back later if you need me to.”

“That won’t be necessary. Just give me a minute to set up.”

Wolfgang sits down at the table while she gets up, puts her plate in the sink and moves over to the bookcase to fetch the chessboard.

“Feeling lucky today, are you?” Wolfgang’s known her long enough by now to pick up on the teasing tone in her voice.

“I’ve been practicing,” he says, helping her put the pieces in their proper positions. He always plays white. “I think I’ve got a chance this time.”

“Well, we’ll see about that.”

He moves a pawn. She moves a pawn. He moves the same pawn forward a space. She moves a different one.

They’ve been playing for months now. He was surprised when she offered to teach him- not really the kind of thing she usually does- but figured out soon enough that she was just lonely for someone to play against. So he decided to take her up on the offer.

They’ve been playing for months now, and he’s never beaten her once.

It’s become a matter of pride, one bordering on obsession. Wolfgang is extremely competitive, and while he usually tries not to bring that side of his personality into anything cluster related, he just can’t help himself. He doesn’t think he’s ever been more determined about anything than he is right now about beating Sun at chess.

It seems like he still has a long way to go. She checkmates him within fifteen minutes.

“God _damn_ it! I was pretty confident in that strategy.”

Sun leans forward, her dark hair falling across the board as she points out the mistake in his play. “I keep telling you, you focus too much on offense and not enough on defense. You should know by now, even a pawn can take out a king.”

“I know, I know. But if I spend too much effort on defense, I’ll never make it to your king.” He sits back in his chair, arms crossed, incredibly frustrated. “So what am I supposed to do?”

“Well, that’s the question, isn’t it.” Sun rests her chin on her palm, her other hand toying idly with a black bishop. “Much like life.”

“Exactly like life.” Wolfgang sighs, rubs his eyes. “Can we go again?”

“Yes. Do you want to play black this time?”

“No. I like having the first move.”

“Exactly like life, hm?”

“...Shut up. Fine, I’ll play black. And this time I’m gonna win!”

19.

Will wakes up feeling distantly sort of stuffy and unfocused. And when the feeling doesn’t go away after a while, he goes looking for the source.

“Lito, what are you doing?”

“I am getting dressed,” Lito mutters. “Is that not obvious? I have to go to work.”

“You’re sick.”

“I’m fine. We can’t afford to get behind in the shooting.”

“Dude, you’re barely standing.” Will moves over to Lito and clumsily puts a hand to his forehead, frowning. “I think you have a fever. Where’s your boyfriend?”

“He’s at the university.”

“Ok, well, where’s Daniela?”

“Went out for cold medicine. Which I don’t need, because I’m fine.”

Will sighs. “Lito, go back to bed.”

“No!”

“Yes! Look, do you really think you’re going to be any good at work like this? I know you don’t want to throw off the schedule, but wouldn’t you rather have a good movie that’s a little late than a trashy movie that’s on time?”

Lito blinks blearily at Will. “...A good movie.”

“Mhm, that’s what I thought you’d say. Come on, back to bed.”

Will takes Lito by the arm and steers him back through his fancy apartment, to his big fancy bed. He gently but firmly pushes Lito down and pulls the blankets up over him, ignoring Lito’s half-formed, feverish protests.

“Stay still. Still! Look, when Daniela gets home, she’s going to call your people and let them know you can’t come in today, alright? And they’ll understand, because everyone gets sick sometimes. Ok?”

“Even cops?”

“Yes, even cops. And the world has never ended because a cop took a sick day. So I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

“Mmmmm...ok…”

Lito finally gives up and closes his eyes. Will breathes a sigh of relief, but doesn’t leave. He knows how stupidly stubborn Lito can be sometimes.

So, instead he sits back against the bed’s headboard while Lito starts snoring through his stopped up nose, thinking he might as well stick around and make sure Daniela gets back safely.

20.

It took a truly incredible amount of persuading, but when Nomi finally convinced Kala that what she really needed was a good long bath, she wasn’t about to give her the chance to change her mind.

“Are you sure about this, Nomi…?”

“Yes, absolutely, one hundred percent. Come on, you said you would! Get in here!”

“Ok…”

Kala strips out of her pants and her pretty floral shirt and gingerly steps into the bathtub with Nomi. It’s more than big enough to hold them both- which happens to be exactly why Nomi and Amanita bought it in the first place.

Nomi sighs, tipping her head back, takes a deep breath. The water is warm enough to fog up the mirror, but not hot enough to give off steam. Just the way she likes it.

“See, isn’t this nice!”

“Ohhh, it is,” Kala agrees, sinking low in the tub. “What is that scent?”

“Gardenia.”

“It’s lovely. I’ll have to see about getting some for myself.”

“I can get you some, if you’d like.”

“No, I couldn’t ask you to do that!”

“It’s fine, Amanita is like, a platinum member at Bed Bath and Beyond.”

“They have platinum memberships, do they?”

“...To tell you the truth, I have absolutely no idea.”

They both laugh heartily at the mental image of Amanita flaunting a silver card at the front counter of the store, with a shopping basket full of gardenia bath soap.

“Thank you for making me do this,” Kala says after a while. “You were right, I did need to relax a little.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Nomi assures her. “This is the least I can do. You deserve at least this much.”

“You’re sweet.” Kala glances at Nomi’s body, her eyes brushing over the surgery scars and old burn marks. “How did you get to be so sweet, after everything you’ve been through?”

Nomi shrugs. “I just try to live by the ‘treat others the way you want to be treated’ rule. Which includes being nice to trans people and convincing my friends to take gardenia baths with me when they need to relax.”

Kala smiles. “Truly an inspiration.”

“Thanks.” Nomi leans in conspiratorially. “Do you want to pour some more soap in here and fill everything with bubbles?”

“Do you even need to ask?! Let’s do it!”

21.

Wolfgang expected this to be a quick trip. Clearly, that was a mistake. He’s been standing here for nearly an hour. The guy behind the fancy jewelry store counter is starting to give him weird looks and frankly, he can’t blame him.

But after an hour of agonizing over this choice, he thinks he’s finally made up his mind. He holds the necklace out in front of himself, watching it sparkle in the light. Yep, this is great. He’ll take this one.

“Ew,” says Lito’s voice over his shoulder, sounding disgusted. “Put that back, you’re not buying that.”

“Uh...hi Lito. What’s wrong with it?”

“It’s for Kala, yes?”

“Yes.”

“No. No, no, no. You cannot give her this. What are you, crazy? Put it back.” Lito leans across Wolfgang and snatches the necklace from his hands, hanging it back on the hook it came from.

“But why though? I think it’s nice.”

“It’s huge, for one thing.”

“That’s bad? I thought girls liked that kind of thing.”

“Eh, typically. But there are exceptions to the rule.” When Wolfgang still looks confused, Lito sighs exasperatedly and rolls his eyes. “Look, you remember the necklace Rajan got her, right?”

“Yes. It was big, and she liked it.”

“Maybe, but if you get her this one you’ll just be following Rajan’s example, and that is the exact opposite of what you want to be doing. You want to separate yourself from him in her mind, not emulate him.”

“Ooooohhhhhh. So...big is out. Should I go for something more simple?”

“Yes! The simpler the better. It’ll be cheaper too, so win-win!”

“Nice! Thanks, Lito.”

“Sure thing, man. Next time, just ask beforehand, ok? You’re straight, you can’t be expected to understand how these things work.”

“I will. Any other words of wisdom for me?”

“...Maybe try another store. The cashier thinks you’ve been talking to yourself for a while, and I think he’s starting to think you’re out of your mind.”

22\. 

“I finally got it.”

“Got what?”

“I remember who you remind me of, even more than Jean-Claude.”

They’re stuck in traffic. Capheus often comes to visit Sun when she’s stuck in traffic, because otherwise she gets pretty bad road rage. She thinks he’s trying to protect her from getting any unwanted attention from law.

“Who do I remind you of?”

“Do you know the movie Mulan?”

“The Disney movie? Yes, of course I do.” Sun drags a hand through her hair and reaches over to roll down a window. “She’s Chinese though, Capheus.”

“I’m not saying you remind me of her because of your ethnicity. It’s your whole personality, and everything.” Capheus absently drums his fingers against the steering wheel. The Seoul summer heat doesn’t seem to bother him any more than the traffic does. “I only saw the movie once, a long time ago when they played it on TV one night. But the story was incredible.”

“I don’t think it’s very realistic, Capheus.”

“I didn’t say realistic though, did I? I said incredible. Come on, a woman who goes to war to protect her father? That’s exactly you.”

“I didn’t think about that part.”

“Not to mention, Mulan is a total badass, too. And she seduces her man by being a badass, just like you!”

“If I am Mulan, does that make you my Mushu? The dragon spirit protecting me on my journey?”

“Hm, no. I think I am more like your horse, always taking you where you need to go.”

Sun laughs at the thought. She can’t argue; he’s right.

“I own the movie, you know. If you ever want to watch it again.”

“I would love to! Ooh, but is the music in Korean in your version?”

“No, I have it in English, so it’s the original.”

“That’s awesome!”

Traffic finally starts to move around them and they move along with it, loudly singing the chorus of Be A Man for all to hear.

(Chances are, you haven’t listened to Be A Man in a while. But don’t worry, that’s easily remedied! Just click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVcLIfSC4OE) 

23\. 

Riley turns a corner in her house and suddenly she sees Nomi staring intently into a mirror, concentrating so hard that she doesn’t even seem to have noticed the change in scenery.

“Something bothering you, Nomi?”

“Ah! Oh, hi Riley. Sorry, I didn’t mean to- am I bothering you?”

“Not a all.” Riley walks up behind Nomi and looks over her shoulder into the mirror. “What’s on your mind?”

Nomi shrugs. “I was...well, kind of thinking about changing my hair.”

“Ooh.” Riley rests her chin on Nomi’s shoulder- a habit of hers that her cluster usually patiently puts up with. “What kind of change?”

“I don’t know.” Nomi tugs absently at a lock of blonde hair. “But, I was thinking about maybe getting it cut.”

“How short?”

“I don’t knooooow. I’m not even sure about getting it cut at all. I mean, ever since I started transitioning, I’ve kept it long. I know I don’t need others’ approval for anything, but it’s still nice when people see me as a woman right away, you know? And part of me worries that having short hair will take away from that…”

“Nomi, I think you’re worrying too much,” Riley says.

“You do?”

“Yes. Try to keep it simple. What made you think about cutting it in the first place?”

“It’d be easier to take care of. And I wouldn’t have to keep putting it up whenever I get hot. And it wouldn’t take as long to dry after a shower.”

“So, you personally would be happier if it was shorter, is what you are telling me.”

“I guess?”

“Then, I think you should try it out. Not for anyone else, but for you.”

Nomi smiles a little. “Thanks, Riley. I think I might.”

“What about color? Gonna stick with blonde?”

“You have another idea?”

Riley grins widely. “Several, actually. Do you want to hear them?”

“You bet I do, girl!”

24.

Will finds Kala at home, laying on her couch playing a game on her laptop.

“Hey, Kala. Sorry to bother you on your day off.”

“Oh, hello Will! You’re no bother. What can I do for you?”

“This is gonna sound like a weird question but, um...are you hungry right now?”

“Ohhh.” Kala sits up, setting the laptop aside. “A little, I guess. Is it bothering you?”

“Not really. I just wanted to make sure you’re taking care of yourself.”

“Well, that’s very kind of you, but I’m afraid I can’t eat anything right now. I’m fasting.”

Will blinks, surprised. “Oh man, I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

“It’s fine, I wouldn’t expect you to know. I’m the one who should apologize- I didn’t know it would affect you.”

“No, no, no apologies needed. Can...can I ask about it? Is that allowed?”

“Of course it is!” Kala gestures, inviting him to sit down next to her, and he does. “What would you like to know?”

“I just want to make sure you’ll be ok. How long does this thing last?”

“Just today and tomorrow. And I’m permitted to drink water, so I won’t get dehydrated or anything like that. I’ll be fine, I promise. I’ve been doing this all my life, and never suffered any bad side effects.”

“Ok, that’s good,” Will says, relieved. “All your life, huh? What’s it for?”

“It’s dedicated to the gods, as thanks for all they have done for us. It is also a way to lessen the severity of our sins. Protecting our souls by sacrificing our bodies. Am I making sense?”

“Yes, I think I understand.” Will has never been particularly religious, but he has always been fascinated by religious stories and traditions from around the world. “So, it’s a yearly thing?”

“Uh-huh. Tomorrow, there will be a big festival, and everyone will be out in the streets celebrating. You should come watch!”

“I’d love to. And then, once the festival is over, you’ll be able to eat again?”

“Yes. And I plan on eating well! But until then, I’m not doing much. I’ve been trying to keep my mind busy. This puzzle game is actually quite difficult…”

“Need some help with that?”

“Oh, I couldn’t ask you to do that, Will.”

“No, I don’t mind! I’m sure it’s no fun fasting by yourself. Here, let me see it.”

Kala smiles and passes him the laptop. “Thank you.”

“What are friends for, huh? Now, let’s see what we can do about this…”

(The author admittedly doesn’t know the first thing about Hinduism, but found this website very helpful: http://www.hinduismfacts.org/fasting-in-hinduism/) 

25.

Capheus parks the bus by the side of the dusty road and takes the key out of the ignition. Only once the rumble of the engine has finally died out does he reach out with his thoughts.

“Nomi.”

“Hi, Capheus. Is everything ok?”

“Yes, yes, everything’s fine.” He smiles, leaning closer. “I have something to show you.”

Nomi raises her eyebrows, intrigued. “Oh, do you now?”

“Follow me.”

Capheus opens the bus door and leads her outside. She looks around at the flat, dry expanse around them for a moment, until he takes her arm and points upwards.

“Oh my god, Capheus…”

Nomi’s jaw falls open and she stares at the night sky.

“This is so beautiful!”

Capheus grins proudly. “I remember you said you couldn’t really see the stars very well from your apartment in the big city. So I thought I’d share mine with you.”

Nomi spins in a circle, arms outstretched for balance. “You didn’t have to come all the way out here just for me!”

“It’s not that far! Only about ten minutes drive. I just had to wait for a night when the weather was clear.”

“Thank you,” she says distractedly, peering off towards the horizon. “This is incredible.”

“Here, come this way.”

Capheus shows her how to climb up to the top of the bus and the two of them sprawl out on their backs, just gazing up at the stars.

“It’s nice to see that places like this still exist somewhere in the world,” Nomi sighs. “We’re doing such terrible things to this beautiful planet. It’s a shame.”

“I think it is a shame that the compromise for being able to see something like this so close to my home is the price I pay for access to water.”

“...That’s a valid point too. Humanity sucks.”

“Sometimes.”

They lay in silence for a few minutes. Capheus’ mind wanders, to all the sci-fi films he’s seen, fantasies of what it would be like to one day explore all those stars playing in his head.

“Do you ever want to get away?” Nomi asks.

“From Earth?”

“What? No. I meant from Kenya.”

“Oh.” Capheus shrugs. “I used to. But not anymore.”

“Ok. But, just so you know though, you’re always more than welcome to visit San Francisco.”

“Thank you, Nomi, I appreciate that.”

“Sure, anytime. How long can you stay out here?”

“As long as you want.”

“Ok.” Nomi sighs deeply, like she hasn’t taken a proper breath in a while. “Just a little longer, then.”

26.

Riley stumbles into Kala’s room looking like death warmed over one night, and nearly scares Kala out of her wits.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to surprise you…”

“No, no, it’s ok, it’s fine.” Kala takes a deep breath, steadying her heartbeat once again. “What’s wrong, Riley?”

“I was wondering if you could help me,” Riley says, gesturing. She’s in a convenience store somewhere, standing in front of a long shelf of brightly labeled pill bottles.

“Sleeping pills?” Kala guesses from the images in the advertisements.

“Yes. I ran out of the ones I had, which weren’t working anyway. Are there some that are better than others, or is it just a lost cause…?”

“You know what, let me do some quick research,” Kala says, reaching for her laptop. “That’ll be quicker than having you read me all these labels.”

“Alright.” Riley sits down on the bed and rests her head on Kala’s shoulder. “Sorry. I’m just so tired.”

“I get it, trust me.” Kala scrolls through the search results, frowning. She’s never been the kind to take sleeping pills, so she’s not very familiar with them. But her inner chemist is kicking in, and part of her can’t help but take this task as a challenge.

“There’s not even a _reason_ for me to be this tired…”

“It’s natural. Sometimes your mind is just more active than your body. What brand were you using before?”

“Nyquil.”

“Ok.”

It takes a few minutes for Kala to make a decision she’s happy with, and then another few minutes to search the shelf for the one she’d decided on. By then Riley is barely standing- the poor girl really needs some rest.

“Here,” Kala says, gently pressing the bottle into Riley’s hand. “Try these.”

“Mmm.” Riley smiles sleepily. “Thank you, Kala. What would we do without you?”

“Fall asleep standing up in the pharmacy aisle, apparently.” Kala spins Riley by the shoulders and marches her towards the checkout counter. “Will you be ok getting home?”

“Yes, I’m ok.” Riley slaps her cheeks a few times, blinking rapidly. “It’s not far, I’ll be fine.”

“Ok. Be safe, and let me know if it works.”

“I will. Thank you, Kala.”

“Pleasant dreams, Riley.”

27.

“I still don’t get it.”

“It’s not that hard.”

“You’ve explained it to me four times, and I still don’t get it! Americans really make careers out of this?”

“Watching football? Some do, yeah. Commentators, coaches, and the like.”

Wolfgang squints at the screen, following the slow-motion replay carefully. “Nope, don’t get it.”

Will shrugs and takes a drink of his beer. “Guess it’s an American thing.”

“Guess so.” Wolfgang takes a drink of his beer, too. He and Will have sort of become impromptu drinking buddies, since neither one likes to go out by themselves. “Do you guys ever even watch any other sports?”

“Sometimes, but football is definitely the fan favorite around here. What do you watch in Germany?”

“Football. The kind you actually play with your feet.”

Will snorts. “We call that soccer.”

“Why?”

“I have no idea.”

Wolfgang’s bar is considerably rowdier than Will’s. Which, in truth, is not unusual. At least until later on in football season.

“When I was in high school, I played baseball,” Will says. “I was a fair pitcher, actually. My team made all-state.”

“Is that good?”

“It’s great.”

“Well, good job then. I never played any sports...skipped school too often. But I always went to the footb- the soccer games. That game is easy to understand.”

“But you never played?”

“I did, sometimes, just not in any kind of official context. I still play sometimes, when Felix and I can scrape together enough people to play.”

“Maybe you should enter a local tournament, or something.”

“Nah...we don’t play very fair.” Wolfgang shrugs, a little half-smile playing on his lips. “Always ends bloody.”

“Hah, can’t say I’m surprised.”

“...Still don’t think it’s as violent as American football,” Wolfgang comments as two players slam into each other on the screen.

“That’s why they wear all that protective gear. It’s still not enough though, sometimes. There’s always a bunch of parents who are concerned for kids’ safety.”

“Then why do they still play it?”

“Again, I have no idea.”

They drink from their beers.

“America is weird,” Wolfgang says.

“The weirdest,” Will agrees. “Sometimes I wonder why I’m still here.”

“If you ever need a place…”

“Yeah. Thanks man.”

“Sure. It’s weird here, but nowhere near as bad as America.”

They drink.

“Explain what quarterbacks do one more time?”

Will smiles. “Ok. Fifth time’s the charm…”

28.

“Lito.”

It’s Sun, standing with her arms crossed in his dark bedroom and not looking happy.

“Sun,” Lito says miserably.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing.”

She raises one eyebrow. “You’ve been sighing dramatically for the last hour and a half.”

Lito groans and rolls over. “It’s nothing.”

“Are you lying to me?”

“...Yes.”

He expects a rebuke, but it doesn’t come. Instead, she sits down on the edge of the bed beside him.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“There’s not much to say. Just having trouble sleeping.”

“Why?”

“Because Hernando is away at a conference and Daniela is away visiting family and I miss them.”

“Mm. I know a thing or two about sleeping alone.”

Lito half-turns to look at her over his shoulder. “How do you do it?”

“Sometimes I don’t. Sometimes it’s hard.” She shrugs a little. “But you’re not really alone, you know.”

“I know,” he mutters, rolling back over. “I just miss my boyfriend, I guess.”

A moment passes, and then he feels her hand on his head, gently stroking his hair. Another moment, and then he hears her quietly begin to hum a slow melody. It’s strange, but yet somehow...it’s familiar.

“What is this song?” he mumbles sleepily.

“A lullaby my mother used to sing to me,” she says. It’s her memories he’s remembering, her mother’s voice he’s hearing in the back of his mind.

Sun tentatively raises her voice to sing a little louder. Lito thinks her voice is lovely.

He closes his eyes and lets it carry him off to sleep.

(Island Baby, recorded by Park In-Hee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IziZzIGzPuU&list=PL5UpbAU8BrdFH0NchCWnQneK6mSItsjBx)

**Author's Note:**

> I loved writing this, start to finish. I feel like it added years to my life, it's so self-indulgent and happy and sweet. And it was a very educational experience! I highly encourage you to click those in-text links, by the way.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading my work! And thank you for being in the Sense8 fandom in the first place- I love you, and I hope you have a great day!!!


End file.
